This year, Patriots fans have a world-class stadium—complete with luxury suite seats and more than 300 concession stands—to call home. But it wasn’t only the facilities that were upgraded when the new stadium was built. Gillette Field now provides world-class care for patrons who become injured or ill while at a game.
At the ready behind the bright lights and cheers is a team of emergency care providers from BWH who work closely with emergency medical providers from Fallon Ambulance Company and the Foxborough Fire Department to ensure Gillette Field patrons do not face unnecessary dangers. This team ensures the crowds have access to life-saving care and get urgent and emergent care that would have previously meant missing the rest of the game or concert and being shipped off to a hospital.
At each game, four BWH nurses take to the first aid rooms in the stadium, seeing an average of 60 patients a game and tending to a variety of complaints from simple lacerations to chest pains that require immediate hospitalization.
“The challenge for the nurse is to quickly assess an outpatient population, provide care and get the patient back to the stands,” said Judith Perron, RN, ED nurse manager.
“Many of the ED staff members work at mass-gathering events, but this is an ongoing relationship,” explained Charles Pozner, MD, who directs the team with Richard Zane, MD, vice chair, of Emergency Medicine. “BWH provides the care for fans at the Patriots’ home games and concerts.”
“Working at the Patriots games has been fun and exciting,” said Paula Rock, RN. “Overall, the fans are appreciative that we are there to treat minor injuries and acute issues, doing all we can to help them remain at the game.”